Mission 500, the nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to serving children and communities in need across the U.S., made many contributions despite a challenging 2020, assisting thousands of underprivileged children in communities. By shifting its emphasis from physical to virtual fundraising activities, Mission 500 actively engaged the professional security community with numerous events to continue its charitable efforts and impact.

“2020 was a year unlike any in our collective history, and we quickly realized that we needed to promptly change our fund-raising strategies to accommodate the pandemic,” said Ken Gould, chairman for Mission 500. “Fortunately, we have built an incredible family of supporters across the professional security industry who realized that those already in need were suffering even more as a result of the pandemic — and they responded.”

Highlighted Mission 500 activities over the course of 2020 included:

• ADI Sales Kick-Offs: With a goal to raise $15,000, Mission 500 co-hosted a silent auction with ADI Global at their Annual Sales Kick-Off and raised $45,000.
• NJELSA Symposium: Despite the national emergency of COVID-19, Mission 500 completed 400 backpacks filled with school supplies for children attending the Pennsylvania Avenue School, located in Atlantic City.
• Golf Outing Benefitting New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation Children’s Camp: With strong safeguards in place during the pandemic, the Mission 500 golf outing in New Jersey raised $75,000.
• Feeding America: Industry supporters joined forces with Mission 500 to raise $30,000 for Feeding America through a series of online challenges.
• 500 Club: Over 25 security professionals raised over $10,000 by showing off their talents during an online talent show and fundraiser.
• Backpack Event at Crosspointe Elementary School:  Rather than meeting in-person to assemble student backpacks and distributing them directly to the students at Crosspointe Elementary School, the school supplies, bags, and positive mental health items were shipped to the school where the school’s faculty distributed them to children in need.
• Virtual Security 5K/2K Run/Walk at ISC West: We teamed up with ISC West during their online show in the Fall to stage a virtual 5K/2K Run/Walk. The response proved to be an overwhelming success generating more than $75K in donations which will be used to provide needed relief to children and families across the country.
• Motorcycle Ride: A dedicated group of bikers in the New Jersey-area got together for a charity ride and raised $3,500.
• Cooking on a Mission: The online recipe contest raised $2,500! Budding chefs can still submit a recipe by January 31st, and cookbooks with all submitted recipes will be available. For details, visit https://www.mission500.org/cooking/recipe-submission/
• Corporate Sponsored Team Building Events: Various team events sponsored by various companies and organizations across the country produced over 2,200 Mission 500 Care Packs over the course of 2020.
• Amazon Smile: Mission 500 now has 83 people actively using Amazon Smile for Mission 500 and have received over $1,500 in donations to date. Please register Mission 500 at smile.amazon.com as your charity of choice and a donation will be made with every purchase you make. It’s a free and easy way to help support children and families in need.
• Mission 500 Corporate Sponsorship Program. For details visit https://www.mission500.org/sponsors/

“Koffee for Kids” is the first virtual fundraiser scheduled to kick off 2021.

Mission 500 also announced a new Executive Director, Laurie Gift Harris. Harris has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit world and is dedicated to helping our most vulnerable children.